Coyote Man: A Detective Frank Riley Mystery by JoAnn Conner


Nothing hits hardened Detective Frank Riley like kids in danger, and he finds himself embroiled in an ever shifting case to stop these kids from dying. In the midst of trying to find the dealer slipping them the drugs, he lands a strange case of a woman sitting on the bench outside of the hospital. She has been shot, but remembers nothing about how she came to be there. Dead coyotes start turning up, shot with the same caliber of bullet as the woman.

Then two young girls, who have been savagely beaten and assaulted, are found half buried in snow outside of the emergency room. What is the connection between these cases? Riley and his partner, Sam Rayburn, are hard pressed to put all the pieces together before there is another victim.

Available on Amazon.

 

Excerpt

Frank Riley walked out the doors of the Emergency Room, thinking of a hot shower and a warm bed. Earlier, he had been thinking of a burger and a cold beer, but now, he wanted sleep. He was bone tired; so tired he didn't even want to eat. He had seen some crazy, gruesome scenes in his time, but crime that hurt kids always pulled at him more than any other.

The night air was crisp and fresh and he stood, taking deep breaths for a few minutes, gazing up at the bright stars in the clear sky. The sheer beauty of the heavens above started to relax him, and closing his eyes, he rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. He started to key into dispatch and let them know they were clear and returning to the station, but something made him turn to look away from the building.

Scanning the parking lot as his hand rested on the button of the mic on his shoulder, his eyes fell on a form sitting on the bench at the main entrance, facing away from him. It was cold outside, just nine degrees, but the figure sat perfectly still.

“Ready Frank?’ asked Rayburn, coming out of the sliding doors and moving to join him. 

“Not yet,” answered Riley. Rayburn followed his eyes and walked with him as Frank moved across the frozen ground to the bench outside the public entrance to the emergency room. He could now see it was a woman sitting in the cold, but she gave no indication she saw or heard them walking towards her.

She did not move as they approached and the two officers exchanged a glance, automatically spreading out. She stared straight ahead, and Frank noted her right hand was inside her jacket. He glanced at Rayburn, and the younger officer moved behind her as Frank moved closer and stood in front, and slightly to the right, of the woman.

“Ma’am? Are you alright?” Frank asked, studying her rigid face. The woman did not move and gave no sign that she had heard him. He studied her, then repeated “Are you alright?” Her eyelids flickered slightly, but there was no other movement. “Do you need help?” he continued. She nodded her head so slightly, he almost doubted the motion.

Frank scrutinized her, guessing her age to be early thirties, average build and height, with wisps of ash blonde hair escaping the pony tail that held it back behind her head. Her face was too pale but had a rosiness on her cheeks and nose that indicated recent exposure to the sun or wind. She wore black pants and snow boots that reached nearly to her knees. Her jacket said North Face on the front and was a greenish gray in color. The hand that lay listlessly in her lap was protected by what appeared to be a glove of good outdoor quality. Well dressed for the weather, but still…

“What are you doing out here?” he asked. Something was very off, and he needed to find out what was going on.

“Waiting,” she whispered.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked carefully, unconsciously bending his head in her direction.

“Maybe for you," she hissed.  Frank inhaled sharply. She said it so softly he could barely hear the words, but they sent a chill down his spine. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his, but there was a vacant quality to them that he found unnerving. Her eyes were dark brown in color, and while her eyes looked into his, he was not at all convinced they actually saw him. Frank noted Rayburn had moved his hand to the butt of his weapon as she spoke.

“Can you take your hand out of your jacket for me please?” he said levelly.

“No.” It was barely a whisper. Frank stiffened at the answer and looked at her more intently. Rayburn took a step closer to her back.

“Do you have something inside your jacket?” he asked, putting more assertiveness in his tone.

“Yes.” She still did not move.

“Can you tell me what is inside your jacket?” The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he realized he was holding his breath.

“My hand.” She had dropped her gaze again and was staring at his knees.

“Do you have something in your hand?” Deliberately, he kept his voice controlled and even.

“Yes,” she whispered.

 

About the Author

JoAnn Conner is a former history and English teacher who has always been fascinated with mysteries and history. She relies heavily on research and personal experience to bring her stories to life with intrigue and unexpected details.

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Giveaway

12 comments:

  1. This is a great excerpt, this sounds really good

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    1. Thank you, Marisela! It is actually inspired by a real case.

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  2. Great excerpt, Coyote Man sounds like a thrilling and exciting read for me to enjoy! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a terrific day!

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    1. Thank you, Stormy! I hope you find it interesting! Have a great day!

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  3. Replies
    1. Thank you, bn100. The shell casings on the cover correspond with the weapons used in the book. JoAnn Conner

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you, Brenda, I hope you get a chance to read the book.
      JoAnn Conner

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Tori! I appreciate you taking a look.
      JoAnn Conner

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  6. Thank you, Anna! I am told the rest of the book is just as good. It gets good reviews. JoAnn Conner

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  7. I like to read about real cases-thanks

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